Implement tractor hitch



1967 J. MORKOSKI 3,334,692

IMPLEMENT TRACTOR HITCH Filed April 26, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet l llllu Aug.8, 1967 J. MORKOSKI IMPLEMENT TRACTOR HITCH 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed April26, 1965 8,1967 J. MORKOSKI 3,334,692

IMPLEMENT TRACTOR HITCH Filed April 26, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet (5 V danzeswi s-5351' 1967 J. MORKOSKI 3,334,692

IMPLEMENT TRACTOR HITCH Filed April 26, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 UnitedStates Patent 3,334,692 llVIPLEMENT TRACTOR HITCH James MorkoskiClarendon Hills, Ill., assignor to International Harvester Company, acorporation of Dela- Ware Filed Apr. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 450,902 4Claims. (Cl. 172-275) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The parallel 2-pointhitch shafts on an implement are accommodated to the forwardlyconverging lower links of a tractor 3-point hitch having elongatedsockets, permitting an automatic integral connection to be made betweenthe implement and tractor, by pivoting the shafts on the implement andholding them parallel by springs until they enter the 3-point hitchsockets, whereupon they are forced against the action of the springs toconverge inwardly as they are fully received in the sockets.

This invention relates to implements and to the tractors by which theyare propelled. More specifically, the invention concerns novel hitchmeans for quickly effecting the connection of an implement to a tractor.

One well known apparatus for connecting an implement to a tractor is theso-called 3-point hitch, wherein laterally spaced lower links pivoted onthe tractor converge to a theoretical hitch point at a favorablelocation in advance of the rear tractor wheels, and an upper link alsopivoted on the tractor converges with the lower links at a location inadvance of the rear wheels of the tractor, all for reasons well known inthe art. Another quick attaching means is the so-called fast or 2-pointhitch consisting of laterally spaced generally parallel membersrequiring no manual connecting operations on the part of the operator,who can merely back his tractor to the implement for an automaticconnection permitting him to pick up the implement and drive to thelocation where it is to be used.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel hitchmeans combining the converging features of the links of a conventional3-point hitch with the quick attaching features of the 2-point hitch.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become clear from thefollowing detailed description when read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of the rear end of a tractor, withparts removed, showing a portion of an implement mounted on the tractorby hitch means incorporating the features of this invention;

'FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1, with partsbroken away;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the hitch structure shown inFIGURES 1 and 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail in plan showing a portion of the hitchstructure of this invention; and

FIGURE 5 is a view in perspective of the forward end of the implementshown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

In the drawings the numeral designates a traction device in the form ofa farm tractor having a main body 11 and transversely spaced rear drivewheels 12. Although only the rear portion of the tractor is shown, itmay be understood that the device 10 is a conventional farm tractorhaving a longitudinal extending body and supported by wheels at itsfront end.

An implement device 13 in the form of a moldboard plow is shown attachedto the tractor 10 by hitch means 14 hereinafter to be described, and maybe of the semimounted type or one which is completely lifted upon thetractor for transport purposes. Only the forward part "ice of theimplement device 13 is shown and may be understood to comprise asupporting beam or backbone 15 on which a plurality of moldboard plowunits 16 may be mounted. Also forming a part of the plow frame arelongitudinally extending rails 17 and 18 connected at their front endsby a crossbar 19, the latter having affixed thereto laterally spacedbrackets 20 and 21, on which are mounted, by bolts 22, the legs 23 and24 of an upright or mast 25, the upper ends of legs 23 and 24beingsecured together by a bolt 26 and held apart by a spacer 27. Anotherbolt 28 connects the upper ends of the legs 23 and 24, a pivot ball 29being mounted on the bolt between the arms and serving a purposehereinafter to be described. Straps 30 and 31 are connected at one endto bolt 26 and at their other ends to beam 15 to rigidly support themast 25.

Bracket 20 at one end of crossbar 19 is provided with a bearing 32 tosupport one end of a cylindrical spacer bar 33 extending transversely ofthe implement and parallel to crossbar 19, the other end of bar 33 beingcarried in a bearing 34 mounted in a lug 35 afiixed to and projectingforwardly from crossbar 19.

At one end of spacer bar 33 is *aflixed, as by welding, a crank arm 36having a portion thereof extending above the bar and adjustablyconnected by a hookbolt 37 with a plate 38 secured to cross-piece 19,adjustment being provided by a nut 39 to rock crank arm 36 and spacer 33about its axis. The end of spacer 33 remote from arm 36 has a reducedspindle portion 40 on which is mounted the ball portion 41 of auniversal joint formed by reception of ball 41 in a socket 42 carried bythe rear end of hitching link means in the form of shaft-like member 43.A similar shaft-like link member 44 is provided at its rear end with asocket 45 to receive a ball 46 on the outer end of a pin 47 extendingthrough the lower projecting portion of crank arm 36 and having a nut 48thereon for rigidly securing the pin to the arm.

The shaft-like hitch members 43 and 44 are substantial duplicates, eachbeing provided with an upwardly projecting lug 49 serving to anchor oneend of a coil spring 50, the other end of which is anchored to a plate51, the lower end of which has welded thereto a pin 52, each of which isprovided with a centering plate 53. Pin 52, shown in FIGURES 2, 4, and5, is received in a transverse opening in spindle portion 40 of bar 33and is threaded at one end to receive a nut 54 by which plate 51 issecured to bar 33. On the other side of the implement, as shown inFIGURES 1, 2, and 3, pin 52 is received in a transverse opening throughpin 47 and is threaded at its lower end to receive a nut 55 by whichplate 51 is aflixed to crank arm 36.

Hitch link members 43 and 44 are universally pivoted to spindle member40 and pin 47, respectively, to accommodate vertical movement of thelink members against the bias of springs 50. As shown in FIGURE 5,springs 50 hold the link members 43 and 44 in a position generallyhorizontal with respect to the ground line. As shown by dotted lines inFIGURE 4, link 43 is held by spring 50 in a lateral position generallyparallel to the line of travel and to its associated link 44, butconverging forwardly somewhat with the latter.

A pair of laterally spaced, forwardly converging link members 56 areconnected at their forward ends by universal pivot means 57 to thetractor, but are adjustably held in their laterally spaced forwardlyconverging positions by braces 58 connected between the links and thetractor.

Links 56 are substantial duplicates, and each includes longitudinallyextending tubular socket means 59, having rearward openings which areoutwardly flared for the sliding and telescopic reception of shaft-likelink members 43 and 44 carried on the implement.

3 As indicated in dotted lines in FIGURE 4, when the implement linkmembers 43 are in generally parallel relation with the implementdisconnected from the tractor, the tractor may be backed up to theimplement until the rear ends of socket link members 56 substantiallyalign with the forward ends of the shaft-like members or prongs 43 and44. Upon continued backing of the tractor to the implement, the prongs43 and 44 are guided into the openings of sockets 59 and telescopetherein, members 43 and 44 converging inwardly against the action ofsprings 50 to conform to the convergence of the sockets 59.

As shown in FIGURE 3, each of the shaft-like members 43 and 44 isprovided with a recess 60 in its upper edge adapted to register with anopening 61 in socket member 59. A latch member 62 pivoted at 63 on thesocket member is engaged by a leaf spring 64 secured to the socketmember by bolt 65 to urge the latch member 62 toa locked position asindicated in FIGURES 1 and 3 with an extension 66 received in therecesses 60 and 61 to hold member 43 and 44 in their respective socketsunder the draft load provided by the tractor when the implement is inoperation.

The implement 13 may be of the semi-mounted type or one which is liftedand transported entirely upon the tractor. For this purpose any wellknown power-lift mechanism is provided for control by the tractoroperator and includes laterally spaced lift arms 67, each of which isconnected by a lift link 68 to a lug 69 secured to the socket members59.

An upper adjustable link 70 is provided and pivotally connected at 71 tothe tractor body. As shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3, link 70 extendsforwardly and downwardly in converging relation with respect to theplane of the lower link members 56 and converges therewith at a locationahead of the rear drive wheels 12, lower links 56 likewise converging ina horizontal plane at a location in advance of the rear wheels 12.

The rear end of upper link 70 terminates in a hook element 72 having asocket portion adapted to receive the pivot ball 29 at the upper end ofmast 25, and may be secured thereto by any suitable means, preferablyspring pressed pin means such as indicated at 73, to provide for quickattachment and a ready release of the upper link from the mast of theimplement.

It is believed that the novel implement-tractor hitch mechanism of thisinvention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description. Itshould likewise be understood that the invention has been described inits preferred embodiment and that modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Hitch means forming a draft connection between an implement and atractor, comprising laterally spaced longitudinally extending forwardlyconverging tubular socket members pivotally connected at their forwardends to the tractor in draft-receiving relation and having openings attheir rear ends, laterally spaced generally parallel shaft-like memberspivotally connected at their rear ends to the implement and having theirother ends extending forwardly in general alignment with said openingsand slidably receivable in the respective of said socket members uponmovement of the tractor toward the implement, the pivotal connection ofsaid shaft-like members to the implement accommodating forwardconvergence thereof with said socket members to form an integralconnection between the tractor and the implement, said shaft-likemembers being yieldably biased to their parallel relation, and theforward ends of said shaft-like members being forced inwardly againstsaid bias by the forward convergence of said socket members uponreception of the shaft-like members therein.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1, wherein the means biasing theshaft-like members toward parallel relation is a pair of springsconnected at one end to the implement and at the other end to theshaft-like members.

3. Hitch means forming a connection between an implement device and atractive device, comprising a first pair of laterally spaced forwardlyconverging link members pivotally connected at their forward ends to thetractive device, a second pair of laterally spaced generally parallellink members pivotally connected at their rear ends to the implement forindependent lateral movement of the forward ends thereof, one of saidpairs of link members including tubular socket means adapted to alignwith the free ends of and to telescopically receive the other of saidpair of link members upon movement of the tractive device toward theimplement, the free ends of said other pair of link members beingmovable inwardly into converging relation in response to telescopicassociation of said first and second pairs of link members, and meansconnected between said implement device and said second pair of linkmembers for yieldably biasing the latter to said generally parallelrelation.

4. Hitch means forming a connection between an implement device and atractive device, comprising a first pair of laterally spaced forwardlyconverging link members pivotally connected at their forward ends to thetractive device, a second pair of laterally spaced generally parallellink members pivotally connected at their rear ends to the implement forindependent lateral movement of the forward ends thereof, one of saidpairs of link members including tubular socket means adapted to alignwith the free ends of and to telescopically receive the other of saidpair of link members upon movement of the tractive device toward theimplement, the free ends of said other pair of link members beingmovable inwardly into converging relation in response to telescopicassociation of said first and second pairs of link members, meansconnected between said implement device and said second pair of linkmembers for yieldably biasing the latter to said generally parallelrealtion, and locking means mounted on said socket means and cooperativewith said second pair of link members to releasably lock them in saidsocket means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,914,342 11/1959 Silver et al.1724 50X 2,959,233 10/1960 Scarlett et al. 172-275X ABRAHAM O. STONE,Primary Examiner.

J. R. OAKS, Assistant Examiner.

1. HITCH MEANS FORMING A DRAFT CONNECTION BETWEEN AN IMPLEMENT AND ATRACTOR, COMPRISING LATERALLY SPACED LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FORWARDLYCONVERGING TUBULAR SOCKET MEMBERS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THEIR FORWARDENDS TO THE TRACTOR IN DRAFT-RECEIVING RELATION AND HAVING OPENINGS ATTHEIR REAR ENDS, LATERALLY SPACED GENERALLY PARALLEL SHAFT-LIKE MEMBERSPIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT THEIR REAR ENDS TO THE IMPLEMENT AND HAVING THEIROTHER ENDS EXTENDING FORWARDLY IN GENERALLY ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OPENINGSAND SLIDABLY RECEIVABLE IN THE RESPECTIVE OF SAID SOCKET MEMBERS UPONMOVEMENT OF THE TRACTOR TOWARD THE IMPLEMENT,